Yesterday, while responding to a customer’s call regarding strange, loud noises coming from her attic, one of our Wildlife Technicians came across  a romantic pair of raccoons celebrating an early Valentine’s Day.

Raccoons have a gestational period of 63 days. That means homeowners can expect to be housing new babies beginning around February 26th, which is unusually early.

For the past 27 years, Skedaddle Humane Control has seen the first litters of raccoon babies being born anywhere from March 9th to March 29th. Bill Dowd, Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Founder and CEO believes that the warm winter caused by El Niño is the cause.

“The extended fall we experienced means animals could do their pre-winter foraging for longer, which makes them healthier and stronger, and better able to survive the winter thanks to the extra fat storage. More animals surviving means bigger and stronger litters being born.”

Homeowners are being encouraged to wildlife proof their homes now. Bigger animals could mean more problems for homeowners this year. More babies will mean more noise and increased damage to homes, attics and chimneys this spring. Wildlife proofing your home before baby season is less expensive, prevents costly damage and allows for less stress on wildlife and homeowners.

Raccoons, squirrels,skunks and mice will be seeking a warm and secure place to mate and survive winter, and any opening on your property could lead to them making a home in your attic, chimney or basement.

With the number of rabies cases in Hamilton continuing to climb (12 confirmed cases) and cases of distemper rising in the GTA and Kitchener, homeowners are cautioned to be extra wary of animals that may be invading their homes.

Homeowners should never try to remove the animals themselves, for many health and safety reasons.

Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control technicians are up to date on their vaccinations, and trained in how to safely, and humanely evict the animals. Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control also cleans up any feces, urine and damage the animals may have left behind. Insulation damage and contamination is another reason homeowners should try to avoid housing critters.

Protect your home from wildlife invasions by calling Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control today! Proudly Serving: Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge and the Niagara Region